Iiamberry wilson



NITED STATES ATENT FFHZE.

HAMBERRY XVILSON, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TOTHE \VILSON; MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,501, dated March 3, 1891,

Application filed June 30, I890. Serial No. 357,267. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAMBERRY WILSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Zanesville, in the county of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

To to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic fire-escapes wherein the speed is regular under all circumstances, and is an I5 improvement on that granted to Frank A. Bone, February 10, 1885, No. 312,076, of which patent I am now sole owner.

My invention consists in certain novel features in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device complete. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the case and star center, showing the guide pulley and block in full lines. Fig. 3 is a face View of the front portion of the casein which the star center an d brake-blocks are mounted. Fig. at is an elevation of the plate in which the central bearing is formed for the star ceno ter, showing the guide pulley and block. Fig. 5 is a section of the guide-block. Fig. 6 is a face view of the same.

The case in which the operating parts are mounted is made in two parts A A, the part 3 5 A, in which the star center B and brake blocks 0, hereinafter referred to, are mounted, being made in circular or disk form, While the rear portion, in which the pulley-wheels D and guide-blocks E, also hereinafter referred to, are mounted, is made in oblong rectangular form. Each of these parts is provided with outwardly-projecting perforated lugs a a and with an enlarged lug a provided with a central opening I), and two smaller 5 openings 1) b below and upon each side of the central opening I), the lugs a a and the openings Z) Z) serving as the means by which the parts of the case are secured together, which is done by means of bolts 1) b, and 5c the center openings 1) serving as the means for fastening the device or suspending the same from a building.

A plate F, corresponding in outline to the part A of the case, tits in a suitable recess therein and forms a division-wall between the parts A and A, and the upper portion of which plate corresponds in outline to the shape of the lug a and is provided with perforations matching those in the parts of the case to permitthe passage of the securing- 6o bolts. The part A extends below the rim of the part A, and said part A is provided with a projecting plate A to form a cover therefor, and said projecting plates, as also the rear wall of the part A, is provided with perforations cl, arranged in line for the passage of bolts (1, by which the parts of the case are secured together at this point, and which bolts also serve to hold the guide-block E, hereinafter referred to, in place. 7

Centrally of the part A of the case is formed a bearing'e, and the dividing-plate and part Aare provided with similar bearings e 6 all in line with each other, which form the support for the rotatable shaft G. Mounted upon and rigidly connected to this shaft Gr at a point to fit within the part Aof the case is a starwheel B,the arms of which extend nearlyout to the rim of the part A of the case, said rim being lined with leather or like material to form a perfect gripping-face, and also to provide for wear thereon, as in the patent before referred to.

Mounted in the recesses formed by the arms of the star-wheel B are friction or brake blocks (J, with their inner faces formed on an angle to engage the side faces of tWo adjacent arms and with the outer or gripping face formed on the are of a circle of which the shaft of the star-wheel is the center and concentric with the rim, and which blocks move loosely in said recesses.

. Mounted on the shaft G, within the portion A of the case, are pulley-wheels D, formed in one piece or rigidly secured to each other and 9 5- to the shaft, and which pulleys have their working-faces roughened to prevent the rope or cable from slipping.

In the lowerportion of the partA is mounted a guide-block E, having a central groove E in circular form and vertical openings E", extending through the same upon each side of said groove, and which openings register with perforations E, formed in the lower wall of the part A of the ease, and through which the rope or cable passes to the pulley-wheels, as hereinafter referred to.

By the construction herein described it will be seen that the star center is entirelydisconnected from the case while being inclosed thereby and that the shaft thereof and of the pulleys is provided with both end and center bearings, and, also, that the eye through which the device is suspended from the building is arranged substantially centrally of the operating parts, so that the device shall maintain a horizontal position regardless of the point or position of suspension and not require a support at its lower end, as in the patent before referred to.

The rope or cable L is first passed through one of the perforations E in the case, thence up through one of the vertical openings in the guide-block, thence around one of the pulleywheels, then across and around the groove E, thence back and around the other pulleywheel E, and thence down and across and through the other vertical opening in the block and out through the case.

lhe operation of the device is like that described in the patent before referred to, and, as will be seen, the speed will be regular under all circumstances, regardless of the descending weight, and that as fast as one person has descended the other end of the rope or cable can be attached to another person and the line of travel of said rope reversed as fast as they descend.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. In a fire-escape, the divided case, the shaft having the star-wheel and pulley rigidly connected thereto, and the bearing for the shaft, formed in the case to support the shaft at each end, and also having a central support, and the friction-blocks carried by the star-wheel, all combined substantially as set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the divided case having the bearing therein for the rotatable shaft, with the central division-plate provided with a bearing in line with those in the case, combined with a friction-brake and pulley-block and guide-block, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the case having the starwheel and brake-blocks mounted in one part thereof and the guide-pulleys and guide-block in the opposite part, with an eye formed with the case and located substantially centrally of the shaft of the staravheel and pulleys, all combined substantially as set forth.

4:. In a fire-escape, the divided case and the central division-plate, each having a portion of the suspension-bearing formed therewith and having the eye extending through them, combined with a rotary brake and pulley and guide-block, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signatu re in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IIAHBERRY WILSON.

Witnesses:

II. M. STERLING, L. W. SINSABAUGH. 

